Cassin, Motes Among MAFSI Honorees; Reilly New President
Tom Cassin, v.p. of sales and marketing for Pitco Frialator/Middleby, became the first manufacturer ever to receive a MAFSI Lifetime Member Award. The honor was bestowed June 13 at the Manufacturers' Agents Association for the Foodservice Industry 2007 Annual Conference in Boston. Cassin, who plans to retire this year, was lauded for his decades of support for reps, the rep function and MAFSI and his unceasing dedication to the industry as a whole.

During the association's annual Awards Banquet, MAFSI gave its Market Mover Award to Kent Motes, president of AutoQuotes Inc. Motes was recognized for his creation of an electronic database that's widely used throughout the industry to easily access product specification, prices and other data, as well as for his support of MAFSI through joint education programs.

Alison Cody, the organization's executive director, also received a Market Mover Award.

The association's highest award, the Tony Award, was presented to Dennis Rosini, Ettinger-Rosini & Associates, by fellow rep Ted Kolstad of Hodak Kolstad Marketing. Kolstad cited Rosini's long commitment to MAFSI and said he's a member who has long demonstrated sincere interest, effort, leadership and has given time to the "welfare and progress" of the group.

MAFSI also installed its new officer slate and honored outgoing president George LeCavalier. The organization's new president is Mitch Reilly of HRI Inc. in Michigan. Vice president is Jeff Carragher of Bassett-Carragher Associates of New York and Pennsylvania. Serving as treasurer will be David Wyllie of Wyllie Marketing, based in Massachusetts.

Boelter Wins Wisconsin Business AwardThe Boelter Companies, an equipment and supplies dealer headquartered in Milwaukee, has been named the Grand Award winner in the Large Company category in the 2007 Wisconsin Family Business of the Year Awards competition.

"Family businesses are a major force in our economy," said Jeanie Farmer, a partner at Smith & Gesteland and chairperson of the firm's Family Business Practice. "This award honors family businesses. They anchor their communities, provide jobs, support charities and lead by example."

Winners were selected by an independent panel of judges. The program is sponsored by consulting and accounting firm Smith & Gesteland, Associated Bank and Madison-based law firm DeWitt, Ross & Stevens.

Grand Awards were given in Large, Medium and Small Company categories, and six special awards were given to firms for excellence in specific performance areas.

News From Road To Atlanta Charity Ride
Riders, routes and a Web page for donations all are in the news for The Road To Atlanta, the fundraising motorcycle ride to The NAFEM Show to benefit America's Second Harvest, event coordinator Alexa Kinney, R.W. Smith & Co., recently reported.

Because The NAFEM Show is moving permanently to Orlando in February 2009, this is most likely the last event of its kind, so if you're interested, better sign up this year.

Eighteen riders had officially signed up as of mid-Maysix from the Midwest, two from the Southeast/South, three from the West and one from Texas, with $10,000 in donations already on the spreadsheet and more coming in.

Riders will begin the trek at different times, depending on where they originate, but for most the event will start Oct. 4 or 5. Except for riders who need a different schedule, the main group will arrive in Atlanta on Oct. 7 in time for pre-show association meetings. Routes and lodging stops are taking shape as riders sign up and their origination points are plotted.

A kickoff cookout at the home of Bill Kinney in Louisville, Ky., will be held Oct. 5 for whoever can attend. The next day's route will take the group to Knoxville, Tenn., then through Deal's Gap, N.C., on the famously twisty U.S. Route 129, on the way to Atlanta.

Plans currently call for arrival in Atlanta on Oct. 7 at about 4 p.m., with planning details still in the works for an arrival reception and awards ceremony, then later an evening dinner.

To simplify donation, this year America's Second Harvest has opened up a secured Web page: http://help.secondharvest.org/roadtoatlanta. There, you have the option of listing the name of a rider you're supporting or simply making the contribution without listing a rider. And while you're on the site, you can click around to find out more about Second Harvest's work.

McDonald's Goes Online For Food Safety TrainingThe Internet is the answer to everything these days. To save training costs and free up training personnel, McDonald's Corp. has teamed up with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation for online food safety training.

Employees of the Oak Brook, Ill.-based chain now can go to a special web portal for ServSafe training. Easy to use, the online version allows employees to study at their own pace wherever they have access to an Internet connection. The course includes audio and video instruction with interactive exercises that simulate real-life scenarios as well as quizzes that test users' knowledge before and after materials are presented.

Employees can use the online course to prepare for ServSafe's Food Protection Manager Certification exam. "This is an integral part of managers' training because food safety is one of our highest priorities," said Diana Thomas, v.p. of U.S. Training, Learning & Development at McDonald's.